WAY MOORE FUN QUILTING

2012-02-07T07:07:00.000-08:00

Art4Mail's January Pin Cushion Challenge was to make a heart pin cushion and then send it on to your swap partner. I wanted to do something a bit different so instead of using a heart shaped element, I fell back on one that I've been making for a long time. This little cutie is made from recycled juice can and water bottle lids. The juice can is the base and the water bottle lid is holding a ball of fiberfil stuffing. Both are enclosed in 5" circles and then glued together. Then I decorate according to the theme. I added lots of flowers, ribbon and leaves. Sure hope Cathy in KY loves it as much as I did making it!

2012-02-07T06:48:00.000-08:00

Over at Art4Mail (find it here: here/) I offered a one to one trade of a spring themed mug rug. This one is going to Constance in CA. It turned out so nice and I literally put it together with scraps and very little time. I had some of the background patchwork already sewn together and was left over from another project. I just added a few moore scraps to bring it up to our 7x10" size requirement. I sketched a tulip and then used that pattern for three spring-y flowers, added leaves and fused them to the patchwork base. I straggle-stitched around the whole thing, outlining each element 2 or 3 times. Love this so-casual look! It's great for those who don't want to 'stay in the lines'! Plus it gives the flowers and leaves some added depth and definition. Enjoy, Constance!

WAY MOORE FUN QUILTING: Project Quilting Challenge #2

2012-01-30T09:59:00.000-08:00

WAY MOORE FUN QUILTING: Project Quilting Challenge #2

Project Quilting Challenge #2

2012-01-30T09:22:00.000-08:00

This is the coloring page that I found out there online and used it as a model for Project Quilting's Season 3, Challenge #2 (here). The theme was making music. Since we've just come from enjoying The Christmas Season, I thought it would be nice to take on the challenge of interpreting a song title into a quilted piece, which is what PQ is all about (named so after years of watching Project Runway and enjoying it).

Here is what the process looked like halfway through. I did not want to reverse the image so using fusibles was not going to work, plus our scanner was not cooperating so mirror imaging wasn't available to me. So I numbered all the pieces like the straw that the Baby is lying upon and cut them accordingly from different straw colored fabrics, likewise doing the same thing with the remainder of the characters and images. I laid them all out, one of top of another and began to spot glue them in order to hold the applique together.

I found the perfect batik background and placed them upon it. While thinking that the applique would be the finished product, it was our daughter, Katy who suggested that I use jewel-toned batiks for the outside pieces of stained glass. I was just going to bind the inside of the piece as is, but the point at the top makes it hard to hang, so her suggested was a very good one. I began to loosly follow the outside stained glass from the coloring page and cut various colors of fabric and laid them around the inset, halo fashion. I then glued them to each other and, after pinning well in each section, satin-stitched around each one with a wide black stitch, mimicking the leading that finishes each stained glass piece.

Here is my resulting piece. I am very pleased with the way it turned out and while I did not win a prize in the drawing at the end, I will enjoy this piece in our home during Christmas 2012, and then perhaps offer it for sale at our charity boutique the following year.

Here is a closeup of the image center. I probably used a mile of black thread on this one! Four bobbins full were used and quite a bit of starting and stopping!

It is a14 x 16" rectangle without having to spend any money making it at all! These are all pieces from my stash and a wonderful way to use them up!

2011-09-23T12:46:00.000-07:00

Our dear friend, Julie, offered to take our dog for the weekend recently and we were so grateful because there is no one to send her off with at the moment. So when Julie voluntarily offered to take Squeaky if we ever needed a sitter, we took her up on her offer. As a thanks to her, I made this little bag. Julie loves batiks - has a home full of wall hangings that she's made from gorgeous batiks that she's collected. So, I thought I would gather my scraps and put together one in blues. She visits Hawaii often and this might remind her of the islands.

It's a word-for-word copy of this bag that is a pattern offered in the UK, but for postal and shipping reasons, the company doesn't want to send it to the US, so I copied it! After all, I've been sewing for a very long time and this didn't look like it was going to be all that complicated, so I went for it. Probably now that I've fully admitted to this crime, someone will try to come for me. I say let them try. Anyway, it's a cute bag and was fun to make and here's another closeup:

This is the button ornament on the flap that folds over from the back side. This button collage goes back to the day when we were all hot gluing stuff to stuff. This is one big button, but guess it didn't get chosen once all the others were added. It looks very good with the little blue button I plunked on top to hold it to the flap. Its weight makes the flap to stay put once it's folded over the top of the purse.

If Julie checks out my blog before she gets this little bag, then the surprise will be discovered! I wonder if she ever goes blog surfing? If so, well, then, surprise Julie! Enjoy!

Pin Cushion - Thread Catcher

2011-08-10T18:53:00.000-07:00

Here is a pattern that I bought awhile back and had it on my list of things to do at some point. Well that 'point' came within the past two days. I chose some really cute fabric - SWELL from Moda and used 8 of its charm squares for the pin cushion top. Fortunately I also found yardage that I could use for the body of the thread catcher.

Here is my finished product. It turned out really cute. I always find a way to differ from the pattern, but this time I just did what they told me to do and it worked up very nicely. They suggested ground walnut shells for the pin cushion and the only shells I could find were in a 5 pound bag at the pet store, so I told the salesgirl what I was up to and she suggested that I use Hermit Crab bedding, which is nothing more than fine gravel. So that's what I chose. The finished product results in a heavy enough cushion to hold the thread catcher. Sew! Another project done -- Way Moore Fun!!

Those polka dots are sew happy! I just love them!!

Going Back to My Roots

2011-08-01T10:06:00.000-07:00

I've returned to my roots! This is with the help of my daughter Katy, who is a new wife of a new Marine and will be living in Hawaii for the next 3 years at least. She wanted to add some "Hawaii" kinds of clothing to her wardrobe and so while we were in our local fabric store on another errand last week, she found two fabrics that she decided she couldn't live without. So we went to the pattern counter to choose what these fabrics would become. Because Simplicity patterns were on sale for $1.99, we obviously went to that catalog first. She found a pattern that was designed for knits and she thought it would work nicely, so that was the one we took from the drawer. Because she chose fabric with a very large and bold design line which included stripes, we had to pay particular attention to the way the pattern pieces were laid out on the fabric.

I learned to sew as a 7th grader and never stopped once I started. I just loved to sew and still do. While I probably didn't choose dresses like this vintage 60's design I found on line, I tried to be as fashionable as my little-country-girl-from-Indiana budget would allow. I wish I had kept my old patterns! My mom probably handed them off to goodwill in one of her spring cleaning frenzies. This pattern is for sale now at nearly $20 - an astonishing price when we used to pay about $.45 for most patterns we bought back then.

Here is the first dress we made. What I re-learned is that you cannot mix knit fabrics with woven - especially when lining the bodice! We had gotten it all sewn together and when she attempted to try it on, found out that she could not because it would not stretch to fit! Grrr! So, while she was at work, I carefully un-stitched the whole top and found some off-white knit in the ole stash that we could use for a lining piece. I am a firm believer that one cannot sew without an iron and a seam ripper - make friends with both because you will be using them often! We were able to finish that bodice in no time, had a successful try on and then proceeded to finish the skirt, hem and all. A first success is what she (and I!) enjoyed!! But, hey, why stop there???

This is the 2nd dress pattern she chose. It's made from gorgeous, but wildly slippery fabric that was determined to slide as much as possible under the presser foot. We pinned aggressively and persevered, however, and the result is a very pretty, and perfect for Hawaii, dress.

Here is a close up of her 2nd dress. She added some sew-in jewels to the collar (hope they wash ok!) and it really adds a nice touch.

This weekend of stitching was worth the time and effort on both our parts. I was able to share with her some of my vast years of experience and she has two beautiful dresses to pack. I have another student to teach, but have tucked away in my memory banks some wonderful bonding time with my dear (dare I say "little"??) girl who will be leaving us soon to make a home of her own.

We do have one more dress to make - she just couldn't stop at two, now could she? Sew, armed with knowledge of that made-for-knits pattern and what needs to be tweaked on it, we will attempt another one like the striped dress. This time, there are large geometric prints; we have no stripes to deal with, this making the cut out session a bit easier (I say this with certainty, but will certainly run into a different problem, as we often do!) and the sewing a bit quicker than the last time! Nothing like good ole trial and error. Just glad I know how to fix those errors before they get the better of us both!

2011-03-29T11:17:00.000-07:00

This newsletter design personalized with Smilebox

Fabric Paper

2011-01-10T12:23:00.000-08:00

On Thursday of this past week, one of the Art4Mail ladies, Pam, taught an online class on paper-fabric making. I've shown my step by step here so that if anyone out there is interested, you can kind of get the idea about how it's done. It's very easy!! I have a plastic covered posterboard that is my base. I sprayed it with water, then I laid down a patchwork of overlapping muslin pieces. The next step was to dilute white glue - in my case all I had was wood glue, but it worked just fine - I used soapy water so that the glue went in to solution more quickly. I laid down tissue paper and saturated it with the water/glue dilute.

I used mostly tissue paper for this process, but found I had a kleenex tissue that I had colored tie-dye technique, by folding and dipping into water colors. While this was a fragile piece, it worked out just fine.

I added some gold metallic torn tissue shreds and also some irridescent glitter, later I added yarn bits. I put the board outside to dry in the sun and about two hours later, it was completely stiff and peeled off nicely.
Here is the finished fabric paper! The photo fails to show the irridescence of the glitter I used and also the metallic tissue shows a bit, but it's really shiny and adds just enough glitz. The yarn is Lion Brand Fun Fur and probably needs to be quilted in order to be held fast. This was fun!
Glad I tried it! Thanks, Pam!!

Barb meets Charlie!

2010-12-21T19:44:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity to meet one of the Art4Mail ladies today. I met her at one of our local quilt shops and had a nice chat, along with shopping and choosing some really bright southwest fabrics for her to take back to Utah. Charlie, it's nice to make your acquaintance!

Christmas Boutique Items

2010-12-21T07:59:00.000-08:00

I've spent this past year getting ready for a benefit boutique that is held at our quilt group's annual Christmas Brunch. I've made most of the items for sale; others bring things that they have on hand or are 'gently' used. All proceeds go to ministries and charities, some local here in Tucson and some are national, such as Toys for Tots and other military support agencies.

As you can see, there was a lot of work and a lot of love that went into each project! Most of the items were sold and another record amount was raised from a group of about 36 women! Thanks to the ladies who attended, who donated and who purchased, we had another wonderful event.

This cute runner has red ric rac trailing down the center.

The runner above reminds me of the North Woods.

This is one of my favorite runners to make - lots of pieces but a great use of charm packs.

Little Quilts Angels are featured in both these quilts.

Set of 4 placemats for your holiday table.

Beautiful topper with bright stars and a bold design coming from the center.

Cute Candle mats that I found online.

Reversible placemats - This is the winter side.

This is the Christmas side.

It's a Snap

2010-11-22T08:02:00.000-08:00

Here are some little cosmetic bags that I've been making lately. Once I have at least a dozen sewn, they are filled with hotel sample-size hygiene products and then given to women's shelters, local resource centers, school nurses and anyone else who could put them to use. They are a lot of fun to make and I've had a chance to use up the lingerie lace that I've had around here for years. This lace is great for trim or in the case of one bag, is the whole featured fabric.

This one was made with yellow fabric then trimmed with this wonderful chiffon-like ruffle trim. Just sew cute!

This bag is made totally from trims - the base that the wide blue lace is sewn to is blanket binding. It's a pretty satiny base and kinda shines through to the front. The center trim is a faux beading look and completes the look.

This one has the same blanket binding and then I used scrap woven trim. I dialed in one of the many decorative stitches and put it down the center of each row.

A Second Runner for Autumn

2010-11-15T09:44:00.000-08:00

This is what I was able to come up with after I received a bag of scraps from my friend Linda. In that bag were several cuts and strips of the beautiful batik fabric that is featured in the photo. I made this runner with charity in mind and took it Grace Quilts last Tuesday and put it up for sale, with proceeds going to Toys for Tots.

Above is the center of the runner. This center block was also an orphan where someone had sewn the center geese strip and only added one side triangle. I removed that side piece and replaced it with the tree batik.

The purple squares added just enough POP!

Gorgeous batiks in gorgeous colors!!

Autumn Table Runner

2010-11-06T09:23:00.000-07:00

Recently we had an AUTUMN MINI QUILT Swap at Art4Mail. I signed up for it because I have all these gorgeous fabrics that ought to be used up one of these days. I decided that instead of a not-so-useful mini quilt, I would use even more of this fabric and make a very useful table runner instead. I thought my swap partner might appreciate something that she could actually use during the Harvest season. So I made this one.

I made the back of the runner sort of reversible in case she wanted to flip it over, or in the case of an untimely spill, this side could be employed instead. From the scraps when cutting off the points on each end, I was able to make a hot pad (complete with Insul-brite) to match. All so much better than an ordinary mini quilt!

OK, I'm Back

2010-10-07T14:45:00.001-07:00

It has been a l-o-n-g time since I've posted anything. I have experienced a computer crash, losing most of my photos and then having my sweet husband spend hours and hours on the reinstall and back up of lots of other computer things. However, I seem to be back in biz so let's proceed. I have been busy, it just hasn't shown up here as yet. A lot of my recent projects will show up closer to Christmas as that's what I've been up to recently. Most of my sewing is for charity and while I enjoy it, it has become a way of life. I find, at this stage of my progression, I don't need as much as I once thought, and now look for ways to channel items that I once thought indispensable, out the door and in to someone else's hands. It's a good thing!

Mini Quilt Swap at Art4Mail

2010-07-16T09:51:00.000-07:00

This is the mini quilt that I made for Diane. Our theme is "Things that Fly." I found this cute little angel block in my stash of mini blocks and thought this would be the perfect place to use it. She certainly qualifies for a flying thing! I also have a pile of these basket blocks that

I made several years back. They are from Alex Anderson's Simply Quilts program back in the day when they were on HGTV. The size of this piece is about 15" square.

The baskets might be a push when we're thinking about things that fly, unless you read the back of my quilt where I explain that baskets always fly with hot air balloons!

Sun Flower Table Runner or Wall Hanging

2010-07-10T15:21:00.000-07:00

This is the most recent project - a sunflower table runner. If you click on the title, it will take you to the pattern site. I had my choice of making a wall hanging or table runner; since I am totally into runners, well, my flowers go both ways! This is a fast fusible project and it was the focus of a class I attended in June. Lots of fun to see all the flowers that everyone was coming up with. I wanted a good variety of petals, so cut them from several golds that I had brought along. The fabric for the centers was just perfect; don't know where it came from, but found it in my stash and it worked out so nicely. Now all I have to do is put it out on the table and slap sloppy hands away!

Ric Rac Table Runner

2010-07-10T15:07:00.000-07:00

This is a project that I bought the kit for in early spring. I thought it would made the cutest table runner--and it did! I just love working with this large ric rac--it adds a charming vintage touch. I remember working with this trim as a teenager when I used it on a top that I made, so seeing it popular once again brings back many happy memories. The side pieces are cut from a charm pack set, although it can easily be done with scraps, the center is cut from the width of fabric. Lots 'o fun!

Container Pin Cushion

2010-07-10T14:44:00.000-07:00

This is a pin cushion container that I received from Lisa. Art4Mail/ recently held a swap for container pin cushions and while I sent mine off to Gwyneth in Cyprus and was unable to take one photo of it, I did get these of Lisa's. Very clever and she was kind enough to send me a brief tutorial of how she made the flower. It's just so dang cute! Thanks, Lisa!

Felted Wool Boot Needlecase Project

2010-06-25T12:27:00.000-07:00

Here is what I've been doing lately - dyeing wool from the powder in drink envelopes. It's quick and easy and way more safe than using chemical dyes. The colors are beautiful and the process is quick. So I had this pile of wool in these beautiful colors and wondered what to do with it. Then I remember the pattern that my friend Linda designed and knew I had the perfect opportunity to give her boots a great new life! If you're interested in this pattern, just email her!

Nine Little Cubes Awaiting

2010-06-25T12:11:00.000-07:00

Aren't these little snails just too cute! I actually prefer them to the ones that we had to deal with while living in California!

I've included a shot of the rough layout of this bag. Without giving too much detail away because this is a pattern that is for sale (see This 'n That in older posts), you can see it's pretty easy to make and then complete. I can get one done in less than an hour and that's including zip install!

Here are the 9 finished cubes awaiting! These will be filled with hotel-sized toiletries and then given to our local women's shelter. I just love making them--they're easy--takes fabric scraps for the most part and even stitching the zipper goes fast. I've included some of the close ups from little icons I've found and stitched on the pieces before they're finished.

A Plethora of Purses

2010-05-03T22:53:00.000-07:00

This is Abby's Treasure Box from This & That . Makes a cute little cube -- a mini duffle!

A Plethora of Purses

2010-05-03T22:43:00.000-07:00

These cute little purses have just captured my heart. They are all of 6x9" in size and just as charming as can be. They go together quickly and, as you can see, the moore scraps you use, the moore purse oh nality they acquire! This one is called Little Glam Bag

A Plethora of Purses

2010-05-03T22:28:00.000-07:00

Here is a collection of tiny purses. The brown and pumpkin is from Lazy Girl designs. It's called the Wonder Wallet

The little collection of three is called Koin Keeper

Both pieces are quick, easy and a lot of fun to make. They hardly use any fabric - just lots of scraps that coordinate.

A Plethora of Purses

2010-05-03T22:19:00.001-07:00

This is Amy Butler's Stash and Dash Bag . It turned out nicely and I love the ric rac! It holds quite a bit because of the little pleats in the bottom.

A Plethora of Purses

2010-05-03T22:01:00.001-07:00

Recently in a class, we made the Manhattan Handbag. I used drapery samples to make my bag and lined it with a lovely toile fabric. Inside there is one pocket. It is heavily interfaced so that its structure is sturdy and stiff. It turned out quite nice, I think.

A Plethora of Purses

2010-05-03T21:44:00.000-07:00

This is how I spent my weekend! Actually Saturday, but who's counting? It took most of the day and some of the night before because it was the first time through with this pattern (and perhaps the last!) and it had many pieces to cut and then figure out where they all fit in the pattern scheme. Katy loves to change out purses and I thought this Portapocket Insert might be a good idea for her so that she doesn't have to dismantle each time she switches. There are two sizes; this is the large.

Mama Hummer and her babies

2010-04-25T12:03:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, we noticed a nest in the Palo Verde tree in our front yard. It was too tiny to be anything other than a Hummingbird's. Sure enough we have enjoyed watching mama keep close to this nest and once while she was gone, I sneaked in close enough to get a shot of the eggs. Early this week, I noted she was 'fiddling' around the edge of the nest and wondered if the babies had actually hatched. Sure enough, we sneaked in once again and got a shot of the two babies side by side. It will be fun to watch them mature.

Bow Tucks Mini Bag

2010-04-09T09:01:00.000-07:00

What can you do with a pile of scraps that have been delivered to your door? Well, you keep them for about a year because the fabric is so nice--Moda for crying out loud, so I can't just use them for stuffings for a pet bed, now can I? So, upon finding them once again in a corner in the sewing room, I brought them out to see what could be done with them. The finished product is a "Bow Tucks Mini Bag" !! My friend Karen is responsible for inspiring me to make this cute little bag. She's made at least two! It went together fast and can be used in all kinds of way beside just a purse. Wow! Thanks, Karen!!

Complementary Color Study - Blue and Orange

2010-04-03T09:39:00.000-07:00

Art4Mail's Complementary Color Swap this year challenges us to use just two colors - this time is was blue and orange - to make a postcard. Here are the results. Mine is the Hint of Dresden, Terese made a beautiful but stark landscape, Jeanette made a target of sorts with her colors and Diana used a burn technique on her postcard. All are wonderful and just fun to make and receive.

M is for Memory Lane

2010-04-03T09:35:00.000-07:00

M is for March and it's also for Memory Lane. This is our Art4Mail's Quilt Block of the Month theme for 2010. We are following the first letter of each month. I chose "memory lane" for my block. It's a cute but busy block. I am sorry I had to cut off the top and bottom of it, but didn't plan ahead very well, I guess, Those tiny pieces needed to be even tinier! I used small scraps to make this and then cut the finished blocks smaller. This is advice I once read from a quilter who loved to make miniature quilts. Make the block small, then square it to be smaller. I guess I didn't go far enough. It's a challenge to get a square block to fit on a 4x6" rectangle!

Some Thoughts on Winter's End

2010-03-23T21:12:00.000-07:00

Here is this year's version of our Four Seasons Series quilties for 2010. I found this great font for the word 'winter' and spread it out to about 6" wide - worked out well. The fabric used as background for the snowflakes is sparkly and gorgeous - doesn't show up very well here at all, sadly. The back is also a beautiful fabric with the forest done in blues. Now I'm off to do the spring effort!

Our wonderful stocking ladies' story

2010-03-23T21:09:00.001-07:00

A little March Madness!

2010-03-12T09:44:00.000-08:00

In honor of the 'season' here are a few of the flat dolls from an Art4Mail Swap held in 09. It was called Ms. March. The girls had a lot of fun and here are dollies. Mine is the cute little colleen with red hair and golden crown, Rachel's lovely lady has a beautiful green dress festooned with shamrocks and also hair, red hair, of course. Vic's doll has a molded face and has found a full body green leotard somewhere and is ready to celebrate. Charlie's doll actually has a little oval mirror for a face so that I can see myself in her doll. Lucky coins found at the end of the rainbow, I'm sure, complete her outfit! Enjoy!

Precious Valentine Gift

2010-03-12T09:34:00.000-08:00

I thought it would be fun to offer a swap at Art4Mail that featured a heart shaped pin for Valentine's Day. The swap was organized and the swappers began to get to work. I sent my pin off to Anni in Sweden! I'd never sent anything to Sweden before! She received it and was very pleased. These photos however, are of the pin that I received from Terese. The poor dear woman had many fits and starts over this project. It arrived too late for the 14th, however, when it did arrive, it took my breath away. She had taken the time to download my family photo and then divide it into sections so that each one fit on a 'piece of my heart.' Each page has some wonderful little detail alongside the photo. Even the pin back side is special. I cannot thank Terese enough for touching my heart with this one. This special gift will always be
a treasure to me and her work is amazing!

Cats win in DOUBLE OT!!

2010-03-07T17:50:00.000-08:00

F is for Friendship Block

2010-02-25T08:44:00.000-08:00

F is for February and also Friendship block in our Art4Mail Block of the Month challenge. This one-on-one swap asks that you make one card and send it to another swapper. This one is going to Jo in Arkansas!

J is for Jacob's Ladder

2010-02-25T08:42:00.000-08:00

At Art4Mail this year, we are running a block of the month postcard swap. The twist is finding a quilt block starting with the same letter as the corresponding month. Here is January's offering. I sewed small 4-patches and cut them smaller; did the same with the half square triangles, framed the square in black and built up the sides with more fabric from the block. It was sent off to Mobird in Canada!

Autumn Offering

2010-02-25T08:29:00.001-08:00

Here is the final season in the 2009 series at Art4Mail. I used little paper leaves that I had in my stash and gently crunched them between my fingers so that they would appear to be curling and folding over as leaves do once they fall off the trees. The reverse side has the verse along with some leaves cut from some gorgeous autumn fabric found in Indiana several years back.

Thinking ahead to Summer

2010-01-27T09:51:00.000-08:00

This is the summer version of the four seasons swap. The tree is in full leaf and the bright colored star behind symbolizes the heat of summer and all its colors.

Spring Time Dreaming

2010-01-22T16:24:00.001-08:00

With thoughts of spring time, this is my spring quiltie for the on-going swap. It was in an effort to keep the trees close to what they might look like at full bloom. I wonder if they're apple trees? Apple blossoms are gorgeous.

Winter Thoughts

2010-01-18T16:51:00.000-08:00

I was challenged in 2009 with our Four Seasons Art4Mail quiltie swap. Now that all the participants have received their pieces, I thought I would post the ones I made. I found the star fabric in my stash and thought it was ripe for making a friendship star and thus began the series for me. The gorgeous forest on the back was also part of my stash and it worked out great for the back side. I found great trees in an online search and enlarged them and kept making them fit just a little better. These blocks are 6" squares and we are challenged to put artwork in a little space. It was fun series, however, by its end, I was tired of cutting trees!

All Home for the Holidays

2010-01-06T13:26:00.000-08:00

This year we were blessed to have had Brian with us for a few days both before and after Christmas. He had an extended leave in December and flew out to see us and do some traveling to California while he was so close.

It was good to have the 4 of us together even if it was for just a few days!

Happy New Year to All

2009-12-31T15:13:00.000-08:00

May God richly bless you in this year!

xox - barb

Look At This - By a SEVEN Year Old Boy - WOW

2009-12-30T11:16:00.001-08:00

These works of wonderful art are done by a young boy who is just 7 years old. His name is Kieron Williamson and he's from England. I googled him last night and thought his work is just stunning and since these have been posted on the net, I don't think I'll get in too much trouble for putting them here. I am impressed and amazed. God has given this young man a talent beyond expectations!

Gorgeous Flowers from Dear Brother

2009-12-29T21:52:00.000-08:00

These arrived at my door this past Monday. They were a special gift from my brother who is also a very special man.

In Honor of a Friend's Birthday

2009-12-27T01:03:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, dear friend! I am a day late, but wishes are still heartfelt and sincere. I hope you had a wonderful day and now I understand the reason for your special name!

Over the River and Through the Woods...

2009-12-26T23:33:00.000-08:00

This wonderful vintage print is too precious not to post. I

would love to be in that print riding in that carriage on my way to grandma's house or some other place of celebration!

I know it's bitterly cold and you had to have your feet resting on a brick that had been roasting in the coals, but wouldn't you just love to try it one time?...

On The Twelvth Day of Christmas...

2009-12-25T14:31:00.000-08:00

Here is the final gift from 'a friend'. This has been a wonderful, humorous and happy mystery. I still do not know who has sent these days full of smiles. "Thank you for making a difference in our world." is what the benediction reads. I can only say thank you to my friend who thought enough of me to take the time required to invent the pages, buy the clever gifts, and then deliver them to our front door. It is you who has made the difference!

May God richly bless you in the New Year!

On The Eleventh Day of Christmas...

2009-12-24T08:54:00.001-08:00

It has been amusing to see what my 'gifter' has chosen for each day. This one is especially clever as she included a whole family of "Pipers" and not just Peter!

This addition will not be an easy one to incorporate into my as-yet discovered recipe!

On The Tenth Day of Christmas...

2009-12-23T08:12:00.001-08:00

On The Ninth Day of Christmas...

2009-12-23T08:10:00.000-08:00

On The Eighth Day of Christmas...

2009-12-21T18:50:00.000-08:00

I love this one with the chocolate milk - those eight maids having milked the brown cows. Old joke, but a cute one.

Is there a recipe out there using a pear, six eggs, pineapple rings and chocolate milk?

I wonder....

On The Seventh Day of Christmas...

2009-12-21T10:53:00.000-08:00

A mystery goes unsol-ved as Inspector Clouseau might say! When asked if the young woman down the street was our mystery gift giver, she said no. And, she was bringing our usual baked gift - wonderful English muffin loaf bread that her mother makes - so I am back to square one!

Whoever it is, is having a lot of fun giving me these various useful items and the conspiracy goes on...

On the Sixth Day of Christmas...

2009-12-20T20:06:00.000-08:00

Now if anyone can give me an idea of what to make from these various 'ingredients', I'll be able to gift this person right back. All I can come up with so far is an pineapple upside down cake!!

On The Fifth Day of Christmas.....

2009-12-20T20:05:00.001-08:00

This is one of the more clever gifts - 'gold' -en pineapple rings!

Too cute!

On the Fourth Day of Christmas...

2009-12-18T19:25:00.001-08:00

The Fourth Day of Christmas has another cute present related to it. I am amused by the cleverness of these little gifts and how they relate so well to the particular day.

On the Third Day of Christmas...

2009-12-18T06:44:00.000-08:00

I used the French Onion soup last night in our supper preps. It added a nice flavor to our 'stew' of leftovers!

On the Second Day of Christmas...

2009-12-17T13:35:00.001-08:00

Someone is having way too much fun. This would be a great way to thank someone that you see often and be a sweet 'pest' at the same time!

On the First Day of Christmas...

2009-12-16T12:15:00.001-08:00

We are being treated to the 12 days of Christmas by a mystery neighbor! I think it is the young woman down the street who is having some fun with this event, and actually we are having fun with it as well!

I enjoyed the pear thoroughly, by the way - it made a great desert!

Grace Quilts on TV

2009-12-14T09:17:00.000-08:00

Here is a video of some of the members of our quilt group and me on our last stocking day. It took two months to get the TV folks out to the church, but Sandy, our reporter, did a nice job for us and gave us some great exposure. This was taken on my camera while I was watching it on TV and it's very amateurish, but it's the content that counts! Enjoy!! Our stockings are making kids smile all over Tucson and for that, we are indeed happy.

2009-12-14T09:07:00.000-08:00

It's been a busy time for me lately! As you can see from the photos, I've been in the sewing room almost non-stop. Every year our quilt group has a Christmas brunch and boutique. The sales from the boutique all go to charity and missions. This year's efforts are featured here. Our sales were so great, I was able to donate to 7 different agencies and missions around Tucson! Thanks to all the wonderful Grace Ladies!

Autumn is Summer's Last Loviest Smile

2009-10-31T13:37:00.001-07:00

Below are some shots that I took of my homage to Autumn in Tucson. Not much color outside - in fact it's just started to cool down during this past week. October is infamous here for starting out on the first at about 95 F and ending at around 50 F! Somewhere along the way we lose about 35 to 40 degrees. Kinda hard on the ole bod!

Happy Harvest to All

2009-10-31T13:24:00.001-07:00

Harvest has come to my little corner of the house! This is the time I gather all the small wall hangings I've made over the years and display them in the entry. I love Mr. Pumpkin - a doll that is about 24" tall. He's a skinny pumpkin man and has wonderful boots. He's holding a little scarecrow made in 1995! What a fun display to have out during this time of the year. We don't get much color from the trees in Tucson, but I have a nice corner on the color right here in the house!

Wish You Were Here!

2009-10-28T10:13:00.000-07:00

Earlier this summer, one of the local desert museums, Tohono Chul, invited fiber artists from all over the world to send them a fabric postcard depicting Arizona. Art4Mail, a yahoo group that I belong to, is well represented in this exhibit because two of us have our postcards displayed. Those who chose to, could put their cards up for sale and I decided that I should do that and give the proceeds back to the museum. Miriam, from Ireland is my Art4Mail partner here, who also offered her card for sale and if you'll notice, both our cards have blue dots near the description in the catalog. This means that they both sold for $25 each, so the museum gained a bit of profit from us! I might add that not all the cards have sold! This was a great way to show off our postcard art and also see what others have made as well.

September Stocking Day

2009-10-13T09:18:00.000-07:00

September 29 was our second of three stocking sewing days at Grace Quilts. We had a banner crop this time! 150 stocking were nearly ready to head out the door by the end of the day - one had a boo boo; 15 went as homework and the 134 that remained were added to the inventory. Several of our ladies were on hand to help sew these gifts of love that will go to local foster kids and other kids who are identified as needy. Each year we have such a good time making these stockings and our yield is always over 1,000! Thanks to all who help this project come to reality!

Going Through Withdrawals

2009-10-05T12:36:00.001-07:00

The season is officially over for my Diamondbacks. It was a terrible one, but at least they took the Cubbies 2 out of 3 over the weekend! (This from a former Cub's fan!) I don't know what I will do now for my entertainment in the evenings! I am just beginning to understand football, buy my heart belongs to baseball! Sure, the play-offs and the Series are just days away, but I will miss my team!

The Sunflower's Last Smile

2009-09-30T15:29:00.001-07:00

Recently I joined the Summer Mini Quilt Swap at Quilting Gallery and found I was attracted to sunflowers. I saw a lovely pattern for a mini quilt online and wanted to interpret it according to me! This was my result. It's also posted on Flickr where it has received many nice compliments. I enjoyed working on it and I think the person to whom it was sent, enjoyed it as well.

Happy XXII to Katy

2009-09-11T15:00:00.001-07:00

Today is Katy's 22nd Birthday. I know, I know, don't we all know that today is September 11th. Eight years ago, our nation was attacked by religious idiots with a deadly agenda. But, well before, back in 1987, it was Katy's birth date, and we will always celebrate her day on this day each year. Before she came downstairs this morning, I got busy and made a special corner for her near the coffee pot, so that when she loaded her travel mug, she couldn't miss it. Here are some of the photos. The first photo is actually the birthday girl herself and a gorgeous vase of flowers that her brother, Brian, sent along. What a nice surprise that was, since he's all the way back in upstate New York at Ft. Drum. Happy Special Day to a special daughter - actually she's my favorite daughter!

Yongosona Wuuti

2009-08-24T08:54:00.000-07:00

We've just completed an ethnic themed doll swap at Art4Mail and I decided to make a pueblo storyteller. Storyteller dolls have been a favorite of mine since I discovered them once we had moved to Arizona. Since I have so many to study as I made mine, it wasn't too difficult to come up with a concept. The doll body was fairly straight forward; however the most difficult part was her hair. I wanted her to be a Hopi maiden with the butterfly whorl style at each ear. This is a beautiful style and I would love to see the real deal in person as I have only seen them in photos. I named this doll Yongosona Wuuti which in Hopi means Turtle Woman. Since the Hopi culture were originally nomadic people who followed the availability of good land for crops, they were continually on the move. The women. responsible for all things domestic, were expected to pack up the household belongings and carry them to where they would next dwell, hence her name. The children are Guatemalan worry dolls that have a culture and tradition all their own in that country. I did not want to stop and make all the dolls that would be needed for this storyteller, so I borrowed these darling little dolls that are made from sticks that are wrapped with colorful floss and have drawn features.

This doll became very precious to me and it was hard to send her off, but she went to Jan, who lives in Boulder City, NV, and who has strong ties to the Navajo Nation. This was one of the reasons I was so pleased to send her off.

My research shows one of the first modern Storyteller dolls was made in the 1960's by a Pueblo woman in New Mexico, honoring her grandfather who was a storyteller. These dolls are always depicted with open mouths because they sung their heritage and history. They also have the eyes closed. Turtle Woman is a real treasure. If you look closely at the photo, over her left shoulder is a glimpse of another storyteller doll that was used as background for the photo.

Sunflowers

2009-08-24T08:48:00.001-07:00

We've just finished another fun swap at Art4Mail. The theme is sunflowers. They are so beautiful with their majestic size towering over the gardens. Mine was inspired by my friend, Linda, who is helping another friend with a monthly project. Since we had both featured sunflowers, I 'borrowed' her idea of the sidebar patchwork. We are encouraged to have back art as well, so I found Debbie Mumm quilt labels in my stash and used them for the back. I added a couple of shrink art buttons that you may have to look for, but they added a nice touch as well. Another successful swap from A4M!

Our House - Quiltie

2009-08-06T09:56:00.001-07:00

In a recent swap at Art4Mail, house quilties - 6x6" little artful wonders made just like a normal sized quilt - was the topic for the swap. I had a lot of fun with building my house, using Gwen Marston's technique-start with a window and go from there! One of the quilties went to Washington State and the other to South Africa!

The backside was homage to Crosby, Stills and Nash's Our House. Lots of fun!!

Happy Birthday Preztel

2009-07-27T10:45:00.000-07:00

Today is our mini dachshund's 12th birthday. You know how we have a tendency to show the most flattering photos of ourselves and it's always a glam head shot or such. Well, it's no different for our sweet little Pretzel. She's 12 and has had some very hard years recently. About 5 years ago, she was diagnosed with SARD - Sudden Acute Retinal Degeneration - rendering her blind. This came as such a blow to us, but she soldiered on and has gotten on amazingly well, although we do not take her out of the house very often. Then, within the past 3 years, she's contracted enough affliction to need to be on prednisone. Now if you've ever been on this nasty stuff, you'll know that it isn't nice to your body. It makes her ravenous and she was always hungry anyway because she's a hound and lives for food. Her once beautiful body has become bloated, she's lost all of her whiskers and eyelashes, and where they've had to shave to put in for blood tests, the hair has not grown back. So this glam shot of her isn't what she looks like today, but we continue to love her and are trying to help her celebrate her twelve years. Happy birthday, darlin'.

A Plethora of Pin Cushions

2009-07-06T16:41:00.000-07:00

Here's the collection of recently-swapped pin cushions in Art4Mail. The big square is from Vic; the hen is Lisa's, Ildika made a most unusual one using an old silver serving spoon and Ani made a wonderful bugga-bugga. My offering is a little purse, because as Janis H. says, "a girl cannot have too many purses!" I totally agree.

Here's another version in pink. In fact, it was the first one of these I'd made from this little pin cushion pattern, and I made it for our 2nd Annual WayMooreFunQuilt Retreat back in 2005. The girls loved it and it was a big hit with them.

Pin Cushion Collection

2009-07-05T21:04:00.001-07:00

Above are ones from a swap in Art4Mail using soda bottle lids and a lot of beautiful embroidery. These are from Sue and Lisa. The wooden heart was made by dear Jim B. who patiently routed, sawed, sanded, glued and varnished several dozen of these for retreat gifts. Thank you once again, you dear man!

Two chicks showed up at a WayMoore
Fun retreat
class a couple of times.

This flannel 4-patch was a table gift for each member of OPQ at our 2nd annual summer day workshop. They were cut from manufacturer's samples and I used the raggedy edge finish technique.

They were reversible, too!

2009-07-05T20:55:00.000-07:00

This little girl's shoe is a gift from Linda S. who finds these wonderfully tiny shoes and turns them into wonderfully crafted pin cushions!

The adorable hat is made from a juice can and water bottle lid, then covered with fabric and embellished up.

Below is the big mama....

This one hearkens back to when Brian was in kinder or first grade (he's 25 now) when he bought this for me at the Christmas boutique at his school. It is made from a tuna can and fluted paper plates!

2009-07-05T20:53:00.000-07:00

These are the really fancy ones made from juice can and water bottle lids! Just sew much fun to make!

Spring Blossoms Quilt Swap

2009-06-29T08:21:00.000-07:00

Quilter's Gallery hosted a mini quilt swap recently. I decided to participate and found this
work in progress in my stash. All it needed was some finishing touches and then some detail quilting. So I finished it up and it was out the door in almost record time for me!

The theme was Spring Blossoms and my assigned name is a woman from New York, where the bluebird reigns as their state bird. So I chose well since the bird could have been any color, but thought blue worked well here. I love these 30's repro prints. They are so cheerful and fun to work with. This pattern is from "Pink Lemonade," a book published a few years back.

Animal Flat Dolls on Parade

2009-06-15T09:42:00.000-07:00

Art4Mail recently held a swap for Animal Flat Dolls, Kitties. Above is the one that I sent off. I just love her swinging tail held on with a button! Also above is Rachel's kitty. To the right is Janis' Miss Kitty complete with cat-eye glasses and handbag. The furry one is from Donna.

This one is from Claire. She used a wonderful colorful fabric and I think ultrasuede scraps for the tiger stripes. Lots of machine quilting with sparkly thread completes this unusual kitty.

Animal Flat Dolls

2009-06-15T09:32:00.000-07:00

My postcard group deviates frequently from the normal fabric postcards and recently we had a swap called Animal Flat Dolls. Our challenge was to make a puppy and kitty. Here are the wonderful pups I received! Starting with my orange mutt, then Rachel's Scottie, or should it be a Westie?

Here's Janis' Father of the Bride offering, and following is the bride herself - Miss Poodle from Donna! Note the necklace and painted toe nails!

Tiny Beauties in the Desert

2009-05-31T08:41:00.000-07:00

Late Spring brings out all the beauties that we have in the desert; these happen to be right in my back yard. Each year these plain little cactus balls get to be show offs during May-June. They have beautiful little hot pink flowers that look like garlands around their little heads and they are just too cute.

Katy's University of Arizona Graduation Day!

2009-05-19T09:12:00.001-07:00

What a great day this past Saturday was for our family. Katy graduated from the University of Arizona in Veterinary Sciences, along with a whole lot of chemistry, and Brian was also able to there to help us in the celebration. It was a gorgeous day and there were LOTS of people everywhere you went on campus. It was a big day for everyone and we ran the emotional gamut with all sorts of feelings - the best being great joy and elation for Katy on her special day!

Moore, Brian A. SSG MIL USA FORSCOM

2009-04-29T13:50:00.000-07:00

Brian is able to stay with us on the weekends during April and the first half of May. He is in M.I. training at Ft. Huachuca, in Sierra Vista, AZ, about 75 or so miles away. Since I have not seen him for nearly 3 years, I find myself just staring at his face. He's such a man now, deep voice and beard. Where did that little boy go who would 'borrow' flowers from the neighbor's yard and bring them to me?

Cacti Spring Blossoms

2009-04-29T13:44:00.000-07:00

These gorgeous cactus blossoms are just down the street from us and I had to get a photo of them before they wilt. These beauties last just a day - two at the most - and then they're gone. So, you must enjoy them quickly, but enjoy, we do. Aren't they just beautiful - and that color. Our camera did a good job in translation - they are exactly this bright fuchsia!

2009-04-29T13:41:00.000-07:00

The desert really shows off in the spring time!

These are certainly no exception!

Spring Break Happenings

2009-04-20T17:23:00.000-07:00

Katy and two other friends attended a conference in NC focusing on agriculture and other specific and current topics. This took place at the end of March. The logo for this year's event is posted here. Katy learned about 3 weeks before the conference that there is a "friendly" banner competition and that each club is encouraged to make and present their offering. Well, who better to make a banner than Katy and her Mom? I was the brains behind the production of the banner; Katy was the artist and design originator. We began by taking our first cue from the logo - a circle with the theme at top. We used denim as the base fabric and built from there. Following are a few of the photos taken during the steps of its birth. We used the Az flag as our center; had to use a protractor to get those wedges right! Worked with red cotton and gold lame' fused to the base. We used several desert icons, including the giant saguaro (say sa-war-o) cactus as our tree on which to place club activity 'ornaments.' It was an incredible week of planning, vision casting, sketching, ironing, stitching, laughing, grunting, groaning and completing this project together...a wonderful time of girl stuff and we will have those memories for the remainder.

The Makings of a Prize Winning Banner

2009-04-20T17:21:00.000-07:00

Katy's Completed Alpha Zeta Banner

2009-04-20T17:19:00.001-07:00

Banner and Friends

2009-04-20T17:15:00.000-07:00

Here is Katy (middle) and her Co-Alpha Zeta buds from Univ of Az holding their first prize winning banner. Because they won first place (against the host team, by the way!!), this means that I also won first place! Way to Go MOM!!

This year's Bougainvilla vs Last Year's

2009-04-07T17:25:00.000-07:00

Art 4 Mail Potluck#4 Challenge Swap

2009-03-14T13:26:00.000-07:00

Frequently at Art4Mail, we have a potluck swap, where we are free to follow any pathway we'd like in the swap. Lisa, our swap Mom, opens these swaps and then gives us about 45 days to complete them. Well, 45 days are up tomorrow and I needed to get in gear. I found these sweet little scraps in a bag given to me recently and decided they should be used somehow. I laid out the scraps on some fusible interfacing and once pressed and stable, began to slice the piece this way and that, then would sew them back together, butting the edges and zigzagging until I had a background that was quite scrambled. In order for whatever I was going to put on top to stand out, I needed to add a background. It was Katy who thought I should use cherries and I took it from there. The black was stitched onto the piece, cut to the 4x6" postcard size, I then went back and satin stitched in from all four edges, then pressed the cherries onto the black. Free motion quilting helped them stay in place and then the whole piece was fused to the postcard base. Four will be sent to fellow swappers; one will stay here with me. WayMooreFun!

Art 4 Mail Challenge

2009-03-14T13:16:00.000-07:00

This is a close up of the resulting postcards. While I am usually happy to send off my cards in a swap, I am most reluctant to do so with these! I'll just have to make a couple moore!

This is a Potluck Postcard

2009-03-13T18:54:00.001-07:00

Here is the upclose photo. They're just so cute!

In Harmony

2009-03-13T18:51:00.001-07:00

Late last autumn, I had the joy of winning one of the many drawings on the many blogs that are out there. This one was different in that I won and I don't usually win anything! At any rate, it was from Noel, whose blog is beautiful and so is her doll! We've become friends as a result and she is currently awaiting a springtime table runner. If I do not get that in the mail to her soon, it will be too late for spring and I ought to begin thinking about summer! At any rate, here's Harmony. When you enlarge her, you will see the most beautiful face ever. Noel's ability to get a face from a flat piece of muslin is just an amazement to me and I am blessed to have both her and Harmony in my life!

Plaster Me Purple Quiltie Swap

2009-03-02T08:54:00.000-08:00

Our Art4Mail challenge recently was to make a set of purple quilties - Plaster Me Purple! This is my finished product. The front side is one the left - the flowers and their pot, background is a nine-patch from three different purples; the back side is solid purple on purple with a heart embellished with buttons and a pocket holding the info about the swap. I finished the edges with a wave blade trim then stitched close around.

2009-03-02T08:53:00.000-08:00

This great face was made by Wanda, a swapper from South Africa!

2009-03-02T08:51:00.000-08:00

Left - from Steph; Above from Vicky

Winter Quiltie Swap

2009-02-02T13:29:00.000-08:00

You've read before that I am part of Art4Mail, (http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/Art4Mail/ if you're interested - we do A LOT of fun projects beside this.) and one of our most recent swaps was 'quilties.' "What in the world is that?" you ask. Well, quilties are wonderful little pieces of art that are just 6" square. You interpret your challenge within these tight confines and go from there. Since our theme was 'winter,' I decided to go with my first thought - quilting, quilt blocks, quilt designs, and design my version of a Winter Star block. And, so here it is. The trees were found in a black and white photo online. I wanted bare naked trees that wouldn't obliterate the star, yet make you feel that winter is really represented. I used the customary three layers and quilted those layers using a stretch stitch that goes back and forth a couple of times, giving it a nice thick stitch, I used a sparkly, clear metallic thread, shadowing just inside and around all the branches. The edges were finished in the same way but with the stretch stitch zig-zag. I hope you enjoy my Winter Star; it was challenging, but fun to create......

Winter Quiltie Backside

2009-02-02T13:26:00.000-08:00

This is the other side of the quilt. It was requested that we have 'back art' as well, so I decided to use this wonderful blue tree fabric when I made the happy discovery in my stash. It is perfect for the back, actually perfect for the front, but that was already done when I found the blues. There was still room so I put pen to paper and wrote the verse. It's a quiet soft and genteel thought that came to me while I was in the rush of trying to get these done. It made me take pause....

Ashlee's Winter Quiltie

2009-02-02T13:24:00.000-08:00